“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.†~ Ansel Adams Larry took an awesome panorama a few weeks back, and I’ve been trying to master this art myself, with less than stellar success – sure the pic above looks nice, but it’s only three of the four pics I took…
First day of T-ball
I’m convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile. ~ Tom Clark This past weekend was the opening day for Patterson Little League, and it was sunny but COLD, which is why my 4-year-old has his jacket over his jersey. It was a big deal in our small…
Homeless Princess
“I love cats because I love my home and after a while they become its visible soul.” ~ Jean Cocteau (1889 – 1963), French Poet This is Princess, a stray who has been trying to adopt us for a month now. The only problem is, I have two cats already, and they want to fight with her….
Some things change quickly, other things, not so much
Worm or beetle – drought or tempest – on a farmer’s land may fall, Each is loaded full o’ ruin, but a mortgage beats ’em all. ~ Will Carleton (1845 – 1912) American poet Two months ago I took a picture of a newly tilled field, hoping to show the progress of it over time. …
Change happens
“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction†~ Winston Churchill As I wrote previously, the blossom season for almonds is very short. A week ago, it looked like a snowfall. This morning, it is already greening. You can also see that the farmer mowed the greenery between the trees…
Making money in a tough economy
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” ~ Robin Williams Out in the country, you can see these guys about every 5 miles. They usually sell locally grown fruit at a small discount. They also prepackage some yummy fresh fruit with lemon juice and hot sauce, good on a hot day – you can see…
Brangus Beef ?
The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef; love, like being enlivened with champagne. ~ Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), English author When I first moved to the country, this hay barn’s lettering mystified me. That is, until I looked up “brangus.” As it turns out, a Brangus is a breed of…
Death is real, and your car is dangerous
Recklessness is a species of crime and should be so regarded on our streets and highways. ~ Marlen E. Pew This marker is out on Hwy J17 between Patterson and Turlock, CA. I stopped here, and at the marker to the right with my daughter. Not sure why, just sharing the real world with her,…
Dating is fun, especially when your date is your daughter
A son is a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life. ~ Irish Saying This is my sweet daughter, age 6, looking at the concession stand at the movies, already donning her 3D glasses for our viewing of Alice in Wonderland (which was pretty good, 3.5/5…
Storms make nice skies
"A storm in a cream bowl." ~ James Butler, first Duke of Ormonde Spring is here in California, but the rain storms of winter (that's how it works here) are still rolling through. But winter is vanquished! Thank God for spring. Here's a couple shots near Hwy 580 and Patterson Pass Road (seen in second…
Curves ahead? If there are, we’ll all be dead!
On the days when the highway is jammed (usually do to accidents in the rain), I take the back roads through the hills. Here’s a view.
More orchard petal snow
The almond blossoms look so much like snow. Nice, and right off the side of the road on my way to work.
Top of the Altamont Pass
“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.†~ Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Statesman Larry did an excellent panorama, and this is my first attempt at one using a couple of photos. I don’t think I’ve outdone him, but for many of us, this…
An emotional banana
“My baby is freckled and sweet, just like a perfect banana.” From my never published country song of the same name. I just found out that you can draw with a sharp object on a banana skin, and a few minutes later, it shows up in stark relief. I can’t wait to show my kids.
Cherry blossoms, and life, are fleeting
"It may just be because I get homesick, but I have concluded Washington's cherry blossoms are just plain overrated." ~ Newt Gingrich This pic is just from a decorative (fruitless?) cherry tree in the parking lot near my building at work. Still, very pretty right now. I've been to Washington DC when the trees are blooming,…
Petals like snow
“The apple blossom exists to create fruit; when that comes, the petal falls.” ~ Kabir The beautiful petals of the almonds are only here for a couple weeks – already after one week or so, they are falling like snow on the ground. It is a little sad, but as the the quote from the Indian philosopher…
The strip
Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. ~ Hal Borland One of the interesting patterns in the fields is the yellow, pesticide treated grass v. the natural grass. In the orchards, there is a clear spray line between them, and that's what you see here. I've included a…
Bloom county
“If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?†~ Kahlil Gibran The almond blooms, which you've seen from afar the last two days, are quite pretty up close. Enjoy. Oh, and enjoy one of my favorite Bloom County strips below.
The fields are white, but not quite unto harvest
“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” ~ Jesus Christ (John 4:35) This is just 1/4 of the horizon on my way to work – the almond…
Fields of many colors
This is one of the many orchards I pass every morning. You can see that the petals of the blossoms are already falling. This week or so of blossoms will pass quickly. Still have overcast, so am lacking the nice natural sunlight. However, I did use a high pass filter on a layer with 50%…